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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Samuel Meade

Antonio Conte's Tottenham issues to solve as he prepares to take charge of first match

Antonio Conte will be in the dugout tonight for the first time as Tottenham boss.

The Italian, who was appointed on Tuesday, will take charge for the Europa Conference League clash with Vitesse in north London having sorted his visa.

Tottenham were beaten by the Dutch side a fortnight ago but with a new man at the helm it is set to be all change.

Conte's reputation suggests he will waste little time in laying down his methods, which could well mean a change in personnel.

His first match as boss is anything but an easy start with Tottenham needing a win to stay in contention in their group.

Long-term there is plenty Conte needs to address in the capital, but he can make several tweaks immediately.

He and the man he succeeded, Nuno Espirito Santo, appear to be chalk and cheese in their styles meaning some players could be in for a culture shock.

The line-up tonight, expected to centre around a 3-4-3 system, will set the tone and no doubt provide some early clues as to who could play where going forward.

Conte said this week: "My coaching philosophy is very simple - to play good football, attractive football, with passion, for our fans. To have a stable team, not up and down."

We take a look at what could be about to change ahead of tonight's game.

1. Wing-back selections

Synonymous with any Conte team is those who occupy the wing-back roles. It is among the hardest positions to play with the onus on defending as well as attacking.

At Chelsea Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso did it effectively and the Italian will need to see who in his squad is best suited to the role.

Sergio Reguilon has been a regular down the left and appears to have the engine to play in that position.

Emerson Royal on the opposite side also looks equipped, but until either attempts it conclusions cannot be drawn.

Other players could yet prosper from the formation change with players like Ben Davies and Japhet Tanganga potential winners.

Sergio Reguilon could shift out to a wing-back option (Getty Images)

2. Get Kane firing

The striker's lack of form no doubt factored in to Nuno's sacking. So often a constant source of goals, Kane has scored just one in the league.

He has fared better in Europe however and Conte has made it known previously that he thinks Kane is better suited staying in and around the box.

The No 10 has been seen dropping incredibly deep, often picking up the ball from defenders, in order to affect the play over the past 18 months.

That has hampered him though, despite his obviously quality and ability to do so.

If Conte's previous remarks are anything to go by he will be asking Kane to play up high, making him more of a threat.

Harry Kane has been incredibly out of form (Getty Images)

3. Pick your three

The new boss has had limited time to observe his players having only taken a few training sessions.

Nevertheless he will have got a flavour for who he thinks could solve their defensive issues. On numerous occasions this term Tottenham have shipped three goals in games.

Solidifying their backline will be crucial and Conte has often gone with three at the back.

Eric Dier has played all 10 league games whilst Cristian Romero and Davinson Sanchez have also featured. Joe Rodon also remains an option.

Finding the right blend will be key but Conte's system has allowed defenders like David Luiz, who has been accused of being erratic at times, to flourish.

Messi and Ronaldo's time will soon end, but who is set to be their heir apparent?

4. Lift the mood

Far easier said than done. However, results often go a long way.

Conte and his CV have already bought plenty of optimism to north London with Tottenham fans feeling as if they have a world class manager at the helm.

Playing progressive football will be an easy way to win over the fans, but it depends how quickly the players have taken to his methods.

The Tottenham crowd were not shy in making their feelings known at the weekend, but Conte needs to ensure that passion manifests itself in a positive way.

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